Dutchess County, N.Y. - November 17, 2019 - Despite a combined 31 points from senior Katlyn Grover (Bernardston, Mass.) and junior Annika Brooks (Portland, Maine), the Mount Holyoke College basketball team fell to the host Raptors in the Bard College Tip-Off Classic, 61-43, on Saturday afternoon inside Stevenson Gymnasium.
With the loss, the Lyons are now 1-3 to start the year, while the Raptors improve to 2-0 overall. Mount Holyoke College shot just 26.7 percent (16-for-60) in the setback, while Bard was 20-for-72 (27.8%) from the floor over 40 minutes of play. The Lyons held a 50-40 advantage on the glass.
Grover led the way with 17 points in just 25 minutes of play, while Brooks complimented her 14-point game with a career-best 19 rebounds, 13 of which were on the defensive end. Mikayla McEwen (South Hadley, Mass.) had another strong effort in the paint, pulling down nine rebounds in the setback.
Grover started the game off strong with six of the Lyons first eight points to give the visitors an 8-2 lead just 2:15 in, before the senior set up Brooks, who converted a jumper to make it 10-2, Lyons, with 5:44 on the clock. Following a lay-up from Ellie Hawyward (Westmoreland, N.H.) with 4:28 to play that gave Mount Holyoke College a 12-4 lead, the Raptors went on a 16-0 run to make it 20-12 with 1:48 to play in the first quarter. A three-pointer from Olivia Aries (Brewster, N.Y.) made it a one-point game with 17 seconds left, but Bard converted a jumper with six seconds on the clock to take a 22-19 lead into the second quarter.
Brooks hit a lay-up and followed with a free-throw to make it a one-point game with the Lyons still trailing 23-22 with 7:26 on the clock in the second stanza. From there, the Raptors would open a 31-22 lead with 2:47 remaining, before Grover drilled a three-pointer that made it a three-point game. Bard would score the final points before the third quarter, resulting in a 33-28 advantage for the hosts after 20 minutes of play.
Grover opened the second half with a triple to make it 33-31, Bard, before the visitors opened an eight-point lead with 6:12 on the clock. That lead was pushed to 12 points before Brooks drilled a jumper to make it 45-35 with 1:53 to play in the third. Kyra Sanborn-Burch (Tariffville, Conn.) then hit a free throw with 27 seconds to play in the quarter, cutting Bard's lead down to single digits prior to the fourth quarter.
In the final stanza, Bard's lead increased to 13 following free throws midway through the frame, before the Raptors closed out the 61-43 victory.
Up next, the Lyons will return to Howard Gymnasium on Wednesday, November 20 when they host MCLA at 6 p.m.
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